Chocolate Chia Brownies

We all deserve a little indulgence once a while. Nothing spells decadent dessert to me more than chocolate brownies! This chocolate chia brownie recipe is all kinds of goodness: tons of fibre (from the beans, yes beans!) and Omega-3 fatty acids (from the chia seeds). And the best part? You don’t have to sacrifice taste for a healthier version of this classic dessert!

I adapted this recipe from Joy McCarthy’s book Joyous Health. I tweaked to reduce the oil and added walnuts to give the brownies a little crunch. The original recipe also calls for raw cacao nibs spread across the top of the brownies. However, I found that the cacao nibs added too much bitterness to the otherwise sweet and delicious treat. I also couldn’t find black beans in Dubai (crazy I know), so I substituted with kidney beans and they worked just as well.

The amazing thing about this recipe is that the brownies turn out moist, dense and delicious. You’d never know that they were flourless and completely gluten-free!

Ingredients (makes 24 small squares)

1 can of black/kidney beans (preferably the can should be BPA free, no added salt or sugar)